Camera.



A. s. CRAMER.

CAMERA.

APPJCATION FILED AFR.27, 191s- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented July 11, 1916.

A. S. CRAMER.

CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27. 1916.

Patented J uly 11, 1916.

2 SHEE'LS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ANGIE S. CRAMER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

CAMERA.

Application filed April 27, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ANGIE S. CRAMER, of Covington, in the county ofKenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cameras; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to cameras, and the object is to provide a simpleand highly efficient device of this character capable of being cheaplymanufactured from sheet metal or other material, the camera comprisingbut a minimum number of parts which may be readily stamped from themetal or other material and quickly assembled, the parts being soarranged that there is little likelihood of the camera getting out oforder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the camera box, parts being shown insection, and others broken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3,Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4-4, Fig. 2, the camera boxbeing shown within the case. Fig. 5 is a front elevation, with a portionof the camera case removed. 'Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show views of the blanksfrom which the camera box is formed. 'Fig. 9 is a perspective of thecomplete camera.

Referring to the drawings, 1 deslgnates the outer case of a camera, suchcase having an open end 2 which is designed tobe closed by alid-like-member 3, the latter being provided with the usual lens openingand a slot for the shutter lever. The case may be made of any preferredmaterial, such as card board or sheet metal. At its closed end it hasthe usual opening through which the film number may be seen.

-The camera box, which may also be termed the shadow box, comprises as aWhole a front lens retaining wall and side walls, together with upperand lower plates connecting such side walls. The front and side Wallsare stamped from a singlepiece of metal to form a frame as shown in Fig.6, the sides are designated 4 and 5, and the intermediate portion whichforms the front wall being indicated at 6. In the blank as stamped aresemi-circular extensions or cars 7, oppositelyarranged on the sides 4and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Serial No. 93,879.

5, and angular tabs or tangs 8 on the front wall. These ears and tangsare designed to be bent at right angles to the walls, the ears formingsupports or retaining members for the film spool and the tangs anattaching means for the shutter supporting plate to be hereinafterdescribed. The portions and 5 of the blank are designed to be bent at anobtuse angle to the central portion 6 to provide a, gradually increasingarea from the wall 6 to the ends of the side walls over which thesensitized film is designed to be stretched. The ends of the side wallsare bent back upon themselves so as to provide a smooth guiding edge forthe film. In the front wall is a lens opening 9 the metal around suchopening being countersunk as at 10 to receive a lens 12.

The camera box may be closed at its top and bottom by upper and lowerplates 13 and 14, a portion of the side edges of these plates being bentback upon themselves and designed to grip outwardly extending flanges ofthe side wall. It is apparent that these upper and lower plates may beomitted, it being only necessary that there be a tight fit between thecamera box and its outer case so as to exclude all light from the shadowbox or housing.

15 designates the shutter supporting plate. This is. formed from asingle piece of metal and has its edges outwardly turned to form flanges16 which act as a guard for the shutter 17 when the lid 3 is placed inposition, the edges of the flanges bearing against the lid. The shuttersupporting plate issecured to the camera box through the instrumentalityof the tangs 8 formed with the front wall and which are designed to bereceived by slots in the shutter sup"- porting plate and bent to form Iarigid connection with the latter. A conventional form of shutter isshown, its support being formed by tangs 18 struck from the shuttersupporting plate, thus obviating the necessity of providing screws orother extraneous fastening means. The shutter lever projects throughslots in the upper flange of the plate and the lid. Stops for limitingthe movement of the shutter are formed in the samemanner, that is bystriking up the metal of the plate as at 19.

Each of the spool supports 7, formed by bending the ears or extensionsof the side walls at right angles thereto, has an open ing 20 to receivethe shank of a film spool,

. the metal around the opening being countersunk to provide a bearingfor the disk of the spool. This is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Theshank of the spool is readily inserted in position through ways 21 andthe resiliency of the support 7 is sufiicient to insure a firm bearingfor the spool, pre venting wabbling of the latter as it is being unwoundfrom one spool and wound on the other. The tension exerted by thesupports on the spool is such as to insure a proper stretching of thefilm across the open end of the camera box. The winding of the film iseffected by a key 22 suitably secured in the outer casing 1 in positionto be received by the kerfed upper end of the shank of the windingspool. The engagement of the key with the spool locks the case and thecamera box together.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. I have produced anefficient camera embodying but few parts and so simple in constructionas to be capable of manufacture at a minimum cost.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming the front wall of the frame and the portions ateither side of said front wall being rearwardly bent to form the sidewalls of the frame, and film spool supports on said side portions.

:2. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming the front wall of the frame and the portions ateither side of said front wall being rearwardly bent to form the sidewalls of the frame, and ears formed on said side walls and bent at rightangles thereto to form bearings for film spools.

3. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming the front wall of the frame and the portions ateither side of said front wall being rearwardly bent to form the sidewalls of the frame, the extreme ends of said side walls being bent backupon themselves to form guides for the film, and ears formed on saidside walls and bent at right angles thereto to form bearings for thefilm spools.

-t. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming an integral lens support and the portions ateither side of said central portion being rearwardly bent to form guidesfor the film, and film spool supports formed on said rearwardly bentportions.

5. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming an integral lens supporting front wall, and theportions at either side of said central portion being rearwardly bent toform side walls for guiding the film, and supports formed on said sidewalls having countersunk recesses to accommodate film spools.

6. In a camera, a frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, thecentral portion forming a lens supporting front wall, and the portionsat either side of said front wall being rearwardly bent to form the sidewalls of said frame, said side walls having portions thereof bent toform film supports, and shutter mechanism carried by said lenssupporting wall.

7. In a camera, a camera box having its front side walls stamped from asingle piece of sheet metal, the central portion forming a front or lenssupporting wall, and the portions at either side of said central portionbeing bent to form side walls, said side walls having portions thereofbent to form film spool supports, said supports having countersunkrecesses to receive said film spools, a plate secured to said lenssupporting wall, and a shutter on said plate.

8. In a camera, a camera box having its front and side walls stampedfrom a single piece of sheet metal, the central portion forming a frontor lens supporting wall, and the portions at either sid of said centralportion being rearwardly bent to form side walls, said side walls havingportions thereof bent to form film spool supports, upper and lowerplates connecting said side walls, a plate secured to said lenssupporting wall, and a shutter carrier by the latter.

9. In a camera, a camera box having its front and side walls stampedfrom a single piece of sheet metal, the central portion forming a frontor lens supporting wall, and the portions at either side of said centralportions being bent to form side walls, a plate secured to the frontface of said lens supporting wall and having forwardly extendingflanges, and a shutter mounted on said plate within the plane of theouter edges of said flanges.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ANGIE S. CRAMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

